JERUSALEM: Maersk, one of the world’s largest shipping companies said on Sunday that it will resume operations in the Red Sea despite Houthi threats, the Danish company announced on Sunday.

‘As of Sunday 24 December 2023, we have received confirmation that the previously announced multi-national security initiative Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) has now been set up and deployed to allow maritime commerce to pass through the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden and once again return to using the Suez Canal as a gateway between Asia and Europe. This is most welcome news for the entire industry and indeed the functionality of global trade,’ the company said in a statement.

‘With the OPG initiative in operation, we are preparing to allow for vessels to resume transit through the Red Sea both eastbound and westbound. We are currently working on plans for the first vessels to make the transit and for this to happen as soon as operationally possible,’ the statement added.

Operation Prosperity Guardian is a US-led multinat
ional coalition of naval forces protecting shipping in the Red Sea.

From bases along the Yemeni coast, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have threatened ships in the Red Sea as they traverse the Bab el-Mandeb Straits, a narrow maritime chokepoint between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. The majority of the world’s oil passes through the strait from the Indian Ocean towards the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.

The Houthis vowed in early December to target any Israel-bound ship in the Red Sea, regardless of its ownership. They have attacked or harassed a number of ships, and hijacked the Galaxy Leader in November. The cargo ship and its crew of 25 are being held hostage in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Philippine Executive Chess Association and the Rotary Club of Nuvali will hold a fundraising tournament billed as Atty. Elpidio Bautista Jr. National Executive Chess Championship on Dec. 30 at the Vista Mall in Santa Rosa City, Laguna.

Grandmaster Darwin Laylo, the country’s No. 4 player, has registered in the Open division of the event that will benefit the Bright Eyes, Bright Future project of the Rotary Club of Nuvali.

The project aims to provide free eyeglasses (with eye disorders) to 300 students of Pulong Sta. Cruz Elementary School in Santa Rosa.

GM-elect Ronald Dableo, International Master Ricardo de Guzman, Fide Masters Austin Jacob Literatus and Christopher Castellano, and National Master Vince Angelo Medina are also joining the National Chess Federation of the Philippines-sanctioned tournament using a seven-round Swiss system format applying 20 minutes plus five seconds delay.

Meanwhile, actor Jao Mapa Mapa and Canada-based NM Zulfikar Aliakbar Sali will see action in the Executive
division offering PHP20,000 in cash plus trophy to the champion.

The second placer will receive PHP10,000 and trophy, while the third placer will get PHP7,000 and trophy. The fourth (PHP5,000), fifth (PHP3,000) and sixth to 10th (PHP2,000) will receive medals.

The champion in the Open division will be awarded PHP10,000 in cash and trophy, while the winner in the Senior division (60 years old and above) will get PHP5,000 and trophy.
Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. capped 2023 with more focus on defending Philippine territory, attracting foreign investments, and making structural reforms.

Marcos’ decisive actions were highlighted by a stronger stance against China’s aggression and harassment in the Philippine waters and promoting priority sectors during his foreign trips.

In most of his engagements, especially at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summits in California, United States, Marcos lamented the slow progress on negotiations for the final and binding Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea (SCS).

During the Daniel Inouye Speaker Series at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii in November this year, Marcos said he convinced his fellow ASEAN leaders to come up with another COC in the SCS to maintain peace in the disputed waters.

‘We’ve taken the initiative to approach those other countries around ASEAN with whom we ha
ve existing territorial conflicts,’ he said.

Marcos also had a pull-aside meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the California APEC Summit, where they discussed fishing rights and other mechanisms to ease tensions between the Philippines and China in the SCS.

China, the Philippines, and several other littoral states have overlapping claims in the SCS, with Beijing claiming about 80 percent of the contested waters.

Despite the previous talks between Marcos and Xi, there are still reports of China’s provocative actions in SCS, particularly in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Marcos, in a statement issued on Dec. 10, emphasized that ‘no one but the Philippines has a legitimate right or legal basis to operate anywhere in the West Philippine Sea.’

‘The illegal presence in our waters and dangerous actions against our citizens is an outright and blatant violation of international law and the rules-based international order.’

In a Dec. 16 intervi
ew with Japanese media in Tokyo, Marcos said a ‘paradigm shift’ is needed to address China’s actions in the WPS, considering that the current diplomatic efforts between Manila and Beijing are heading in a ‘poor direction.”

He, however, admitted that the Philippines needs to be careful and seek a ‘less confrontational method’ to settle the maritime issues with China.

Investment pledges worth trillions of pesos

Apart from protecting and defending Philippine territory, Marcos is also focused on enticing more foreign investors to start or further expand their businesses in the Philippines, with a goal to spur economic growth in the country.

The President had a total of 12 overseas trips in nine countries (China, Switzerland, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia) this year.

The Philippines secured an estimated PHP2.484 trillion worth of investment pledges from those foreign travels, based on government data.

Despite the growing tensions between Manila
and Beijing in the WPS, China remained the top source of foreign investments in the Philippines, with a total of PHP1.374 trillion.

This was followed by Japan (PHP721 billion in Feb. and PHP14.5 billion in December), Saudi Arabia (PHP234 billion), the US (PHP73.79 billion in April to May and PHP36.96 billion in November), Malaysia (PHP15.814 billion), Singapore (PHP11 billion), Switzerland (PHP1.3 billion), Indonesia (PHP1.221 billion), and UK (PHP1.05 billion).

Most of the companies that pledged to invest in the Philippines sought to pursue projects for the development of top priority sectors, including energy, infrastructure, technology, and health.

The investment commitments are expected to create more job opportunities for Filipinos.

Marcos also kept on reassuring the foreign business communities of his administration’s strong commitment to improve the business climate in the Philippines and make the country a top investment destination.

‘With a solid reform agenda and unabating growth amid headwinds
, the Philippines is ready to take off as a leading investment hub in Asia. A wealth of opportunity awaits you in the Philippines, and we are ready to explore new horizons with your investments in the coming years,’ he told foreign business leaders and investors during the Philippine Economic Briefing in San Francisco, California in November.

Structural transformation

Marcos also repeatedly stressed that structural reforms are part of his administration’s economic policy-making and -planning.

He described 2023 as ‘the year of structural changes,’ noting that the reforms are crucial in the country’s recovery from the economic challenges caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Marcos said the government is ‘remodeling’ the fiscal, monetary and spending policies, as the country ‘moves away from the Covid economy.’

‘Now, those structural changes should start to — well, they already have but they will even have a greater effect in 2024 than they did in 2023,’ he said in a recent interview
in Japan.

‘We’re moving in the right direction. But if you ask me, I always say it’s too slow, it’s too slow, it’s too slow. So, we will just keep pushing and pushing para matapos lahat ito (to finish all that we started) so that we can start to feel the effects of those changes that we made.’
Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Senator Robinhood Padilla has filed a bill seeking to probe alleged irregularities of Malampaya in the selection process of the Indigenous People’s Mandatory Representative (IPMR) in Palawan.

In his Senate Resolution No. 885 filed on Dec. 11 but released to media on Tuesday, Padilla said his office got complaints regarding the irregularities in choosing the IP representative.

‘The Cuyonons of Palawan alleged that the IPMR selection process did not adhere to customary laws and practices, resulting in the disenfranchisement of traditional leaders and their exclusion from meaningful participation,’ Padilla said in his explanatory note.

He urged the Senate Committee on Cultural communities and Muslim Affairs to conduct an inquiry into the complaints of the Cuyon tribe, which resides in the Cuyo islands in the Northern and Central Palawan area.

The National Commission of Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) issued a Certificate of Non-Overlap on the renewal of Service Contract No. 38 which allows for the continue
d production of the Malampaya gas field last June 30.

Padilla said the right to participate in decision-making is a guaranteed under Section 16 of the indigenous Peoples Right Act of 1997 (IPRA) which states that Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) have the right to participate fully, if they so choose, at all levels of decision-making in matters which may affect their rights, lives and destinies through procedures determined by them as well as to maintain and develop their own indigenous political structures.

Padilla added that the State shall ensure that the ICCs/IPs shall be given mandatory representation in policy-making bodies and other local legislative councils.

‘In view of the foregoing issues, there is a need to examine and review the IPRA as well as the mandate of the NCIP in the protection of the rights and welfare of the IPs with the end in view of improving the provisions of the IPRA’ the resolution read.
Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Manila City government on Tuesday called on residents to be vigilant in celebrating the holiday season and continue observing health protocols.

Mayor Honey Lacuna issued the reminder as she cited the report of the Manila Health Department (MHD), noting a rise in coronavirus cases in the city.

She reported that there have been 25 cases recorded on Dec. 22, bringing to 111 the total confirmed active cases.

She added that cases of Covid-19 reinfection have been logged while the city’s positivity rate rose to 22 percent, from 16 percent in the previous week.

Lacuna, meanwhile, said wearing face masks in the city remains voluntary.

‘Kung ako ang masusunod, lahat gusto ko mag-face mask ulit lalo ngayong Kapaskuhan dahil kaliwa’t kanan ang Christmas party, araw-araw may pinupuntahan tayong mga kasiyahan, pag mamimili ng regalo, siksikan din sa mga pamilihan gaya ng malls, public markets. (If I can have it my way, I want everyone to wear face masks again especially this Christmas season because there
are a lot of Christmas parties. People go to various festive events everyday, shop for gifts, which result in crowded places such as malls and public markets),’ Lacuna added.

She noted the need to self-isolate if one is already manifesting Covid-19 symptoms to avoid infecting others.

Lacuna also reminded members of vulnerable sectors such as children, elderly, pregnant women and those who have comorbidities to practice the basic health protocols that include wearing face masks, frequent hand washing and avoiding crowded places.

“Mag-ibayong pag-iingat po tayo ngayon dahil patuloy ang pagtaas ng mga kaso. Ako po ay nakikisuyo, sa mga darating na araw ay patuloy tayong mag-ingat para mas ma-enjoy natin ang buong holiday season (Let us all exercise caution because cases are rising. I am appealing to everyone, let’s all take care in the coming days so that we can enjoy the holiday season),” she said.
Source: Philippines News Agency

Can Tho: My Khanh Tourism Village in Phong Dien district received a decision from the People’s Committee of Mekong Delta Can Tho city recognising it as a four-star ‘One Commune, One Product’ (OCOP) product, on December 23.

Le Van Sang, Director of My Khanh Tourism Village, said the recognition will contribute to preserving and promoting unique cultural and artistic values of the Southwest region, and serve as a premise for the village to upgrade its tourism products, thus promoting rural economic development in the direction of rural and community-based tourism model.

The recognition is expected to further promote tourism potential of Can Tho and the Mekong Delta region in general to domestic and international visitors, he said.

Established in 1996, My Khanh tourist village is seen as an attractive and typical tourist destination of Can Tho. Covering an area of 30ha, the village provides numerous entertainment, leisure and relaxation activities.

The destination serves thousands of tourists every year, e
arning great revenues for the municipal tourism sector, he said.

Not only attracting tourists, My Khanh Tourist Village in particular and tourist destinations in Phong Dien in general have focused on promoting local OCOP products and specialties to tourists, contributing to preserving and promoting cultural values and traditional cuisine of the Mekong Delta region, Sang added. On the occasion, a site for introducing and selling OCOP products was launched in the village.

Meanwhile, a trade fair featuring 50 pavilions which kicked off in the village on the same day is introducing specialties and OCOP products of the Mekong Delta region. The event will last until January 1, 2024.

According to Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc He, Can Tho has so far had 148 products recognised as three- and four-star OCOP products.

The ‘One Commune, One Product’ programme has importantly contributed to implementing the national target programme on new-style rural area building in the locality, and
improving the material and spiritual life of residents in rural areas./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency